A collision with a commercial semi-truck is not a bigger version of a car accident — it is a different kind of case. The injuries are usually more serious, the insurance policies are layered, and the most important evidence belongs to the trucking company, not to you. If you were hurt in an Arizona crash involving a Werner Enterprises truck, here is what you are actually dealing with and how the process works.
Who Is Werner Enterprises?
Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) is one of the largest truckload carriers in the United States. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates a fleet of approximately 8,300 trucks and 30,000 trailers nationwide. Werner maintains a terminal in the Phoenix area, and its trucks regularly run Arizona's major freight corridors — I-10 through Phoenix and Tucson, I-40 across northern Arizona, and I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff.
None of that means a Werner driver was at fault in your crash — fault has to be proven with evidence. What it does mean is that if a Werner truck was involved, you are dealing with a major interstate carrier, its insurers, and its claims team rather than an individual driver with a personal auto policy.
Why Trucking Cases Are Different From Car Accident Claims
Three things separate a commercial trucking case from an ordinary car crash claim:
Federal regulations apply. Interstate carriers like Werner are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Hours-of-service rules (49 CFR Part 395) limit how long a driver can be behind the wheel and require electronic logging devices that record driving time. Carriers must follow federal inspection and maintenance requirements (49 CFR Part 396) and drug-and-alcohol testing programs (49 CFR Part 382). Whether those rules were followed is often the heart of the case.
The evidence belongs to the carrier. ELD data, the truck's engine control module, dash-camera footage, the driver's qualification file, dispatch records, and maintenance logs are all in the company's possession — and federal retention periods for some records are short. An attorney's first move in a trucking case is typically a spoliation (preservation) letter demanding that the carrier retain everything. Wait months to act, and records may be lawfully destroyed in the ordinary course of business.
The response is immediate and professional. Large carriers and their insurers commonly dispatch rapid-response investigators to serious crash scenes. There is nothing improper about that — but it means the company's side of the case is being built within days, while injured people are still in the hospital. Early statements you give to any insurer can be used to dispute your claim later. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the carrier's insurance company, and it is reasonable to speak with a lawyer first.
The Arizona Law That Shapes Your Claim
The deadline: two years. Under ARS § 12-542, a personal-injury lawsuit in Arizona must generally be filed within two years of the date the cause of action accrues. Miss it, and the claim is barred no matter how strong it is. Shorter deadlines can apply in special situations — if a government vehicle or roadway defect is involved, a notice of claim may be due within 180 days under ARS § 12-821.01.
Partial fault doesn't bar you. Arizona follows pure comparative negligence under ARS § 12-2505. If a jury finds you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault — not eliminated. Insurers sometimes suggest that any fault on your part ends the claim; in Arizona, that is not the law.
Layered liability. A trucking case can involve more than the driver: the motor carrier, a separate trailer owner, a freight broker, a shipper, or a maintenance contractor. Identifying every responsible party — and every insurance policy — is part of why these cases are handled differently than two-car collisions.
How Henry Beam Handles Trucking Cases
Henry Beam has practiced law in Arizona for 15 years, including years as a prosecutor — experience built on investigating facts, preserving evidence, and trying cases. In a trucking case, that background translates to the things that actually move the needle: sending preservation demands early, obtaining the federal records that show what the driver and carrier did, and working with reconstruction experts when fault is disputed.
Henry handles trucking cases on a contingency-fee basis — no fee unless your case resolves in your favor — and offers free consultations statewide by phone or video. Services are available in English and Spanish.
